Building the Perfect Defensive Lineman in Tennessee: DII-AA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tennessee high school football is loaded with talented defensive linemen, especially in Division II-AA. From athleticism and run-stuffing to technique and pass rush ability, several standouts bring unique traits to the field each Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this Prep Redzone scouting series, I'm building the ultimate player at every position and classification by combining the best size, skills, traits and intangibles from top prospects across the state. There's just one rule: each player can be used only once, unless necessary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next in the series, I'm doing Division II-AA defensive linemen. By blending the best qualities of five different players, I've created the blueprint for the perfect defensive trench king in this class heading into the 2026 Tennessee football season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2233599} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/Photo-Jun-23-2026-1-08-09-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2233599" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Knox Webb DL [player_tooltip player_id='1182853' first='Jackson' last='Nichols']. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL Frame: 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1182853' first='Jackson' last='Nichols'] – Webb School of Knoxville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were several players I could have used for this one, but I chose [player_tooltip player_id='1182853' first='Jackson' last='Nichols'], a recent transfer from Knox Catholic. He's a young player who hasn't been given a big role yet, but will have one at Webb School of Knoxville. His frame is flat-out impressive for a rising junior in Tennessee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2028 prospect stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 pounds with a lean, athletic frame that's best suited to play edge rusher. He offers excellent length that is key for a trench player. While he is not your traditional defensive lineman, it still counts in my book, and this build, along with other traits, will be unstoppable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2098720} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Photo-Jan-03-2026-5-01-57-PM-crop-1319x867-1767482021.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2098720" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: FRA DL [player_tooltip player_id='1665616' first='Dhillon' last='Booker']. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL Athleticism: 2029 [player_tooltip player_id='1665616' first='Dhillon' last='Booker'] – Franklin Road Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1665616' first='Dhillon' last='Booker'] is one of the most impressive young players in Tennessee, regardless of position and classification. He is, without a doubt, the most athletic defensive lineman in Division II-AA and gives this theoretical player a much-needed physical tool.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising sophomore is such a fluid mover as a 6-foot-1, 215-pound defensive end. Booker has elite quickness off the edge, nice burst and is becoming highly explosive. I got a chance to watch him at NPA's private workouts this offseason, and seeing the 2029 prospect move is something that immediately caught my eye.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2233595} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/Photo-Jun-23-2026-1-02-06-PM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2233595" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: FRA DL [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'] during a game. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL Technique: 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'] – Franklin Road Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Staying at the same school, we have [player_tooltip player_id='866750' first='Keilan' last='Neal'], a 2027 defensive end prospect who is a virtual lock to be a Power Four guy. He possesses a lot of impressive tools, but the thing that sticks out the most to me is his technique. As I said about [player_tooltip player_id='2128042' first='Kyre' last='Vaught'] yesterday, FRA has arguably the top coaching staff in Tennessee, so this should not be a surprise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2061235888311378156?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2061235888311378156?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neal plays with excellent pad level, has a nice first step off the ball, terrific get-off, knows how to use his leverage, has good hand placement and a deep bag of moves. He's arguably the No. 2 defensive lineman in his class and is due for another big season with the Panthers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2159846} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/03/Photo-Mar-27-2026-10-35-09-AM-crop-1320x867-1774625840.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2159846" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: BGA DL [player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman'] during the state championship. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL Pass-Rush Ability: 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman'] – Battle Ground Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you want an elite pass rusher on the defensive front, look no further than [player_tooltip player_id='902956' first='Justice' last='Pittman']. The recent Western Kentucky commit excels in that area, and is coming off a season in which he had 11 sacks as an interior lineman. It's quite impressive, to say the least, which warrants him being on the list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He has a refined arsenal of pass-rush moves, impressive speed for his size and position, some of the best twitch I've seen and a relentless motor that ties everything together. Pittman will be an excellent college player, but first, he has a final year at Battle Ground Academy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2159852} --> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/06/98-Will-Pasley-crop-5607x3682-1774626032.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2159852" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: GCA (Knox) DL [player_tooltip player_id='1038498' first='Will' last='Pasley'] at a Prep Redzone camp.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DL Run Stuffing: 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1038498' first='Will' last='Pasley'] – Grace Christian Academy (Knoxville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our final category for this article is run stuffing ability. Several players at this position excel at handcuffing opposing teams' running game, but you cannot dismiss how disruptive a player that [player_tooltip player_id='1038498' first='Will' last='Pasley'] is. He helps anchor one of the best defensive fronts in Division II-AA, partially due to his elite ability to stop the run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2060442246898426223?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CSmithMedia/status/2060442246898426223?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising junior is a big man, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 332 pounds in a large frame that allows him to shut down the middle. Pasley is incredibly physical with a lot of power, a strong football mind, a nice motor and the technique that goes into taking up blocks and clogging lanes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->